Ciara Sims

I bought the Nivea 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water (£3.69) after seeing Lily Melrose talk about it in one of her videos and it just seemed to be the thing that I needed for removing my makeup. I used to use makeup wipes to remove my makeup before cleansing my face, but I just went through them so quickly so I thought the Nivea 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water would save me from buying so many wipes and I'm fast becoming addicted to this stuff. This stuff is fantastic. It definitely does all it says and more. I just tip a little bit onto a cotton pad and wipe over my face and my makeup is removed instantly. It's not harsh, or stripping, doesn't leave your face feeling red raw and yet at the same time it's able to remove even the most stubborn of eyeliners (*Benefit They're Real! I'm looking at you!). I always wash my face afterwards anyway, but the Nivea 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water doesn't leave a residue on your face that needs to be washed off. I also found that my skin didn't feel really tight after using this, so if you are in need of a quick 1 step skincare routine then this is the stuff for you.

I bought myself a Zoeva Complete Eye Brush Set (£52.95) a while back and I cannot rave about these brushes enough. They are of the highest quality and, seeing as you get 12 brushes in the set, don't cost the Earth. I'll probably do a full review of them because they are that amazing. I think my favourite brush from the whole set is the 142 Concealer Buffer brush (£7.95). Please excuse how dirty this brush is, it's just because it gets a lot of love. The Zoeva 142 Concealer Buffer brush makes applying and blending concealer so easy. It's perfect for getting good coverage on spots or blemishes and is soft enough to use under the eye as it doesn't drag at the skin. I don't know why I went without this brush for so long and I'm going to go and give it a wash now.

When I heard my boyfriend was going to Florida I very kindly asked him to bring me back the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Celebrated (£18.99) because it is just the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen (look at that packaging!). So you can imagine my excitement when I received a Snapchat from him checking it was the right one. Celebrated is a really pretty, natural peachy pink that creates a lovely flush of colour on the cheeks. This isn't the most pigmented blush ever, so I think it's definitely more for the fairer girls among us. I think this may be a limited edition but I'm not sure so if you can, I would definitely pick one up just to be sure. You can see me wearing this in my August Face post.

I've been really loving highlighters at the minute. Contouring is something that I'm not that big on and I think highlighting is a lot easier so I'm going to stick with that. The nicest highlighter I have come across is *Benefit High Beam (£19.50). It's really flattering, easy to use and actually shows up! I find that so many powder highlighters aren't pigmented enough, but because *High Beam is a liquid highlighter it packs a punch. *High Beam is a pearly pink highlighter that looks gorgeous dotted along the cheek and brow bones. I tend to dot it onto my skin and then blend it in using my Ecotools Airbrush Concealer brush (£5.49). This mini tube is from the *Best of Benefit Set which I got for Christmas but I'll be buying myself a full bottle when this runs out.

Finally, my last august love has been Benefit Roller Lash (£19.50). Where has this stuff been all my life, it's amazing. Roller Lash lengthens and curls the lashes giving you fluttery lashes with heaps of volume. I don't actually curl my lashes, because I'm lazy, but with Roller Lash I don't need to! Roller Lash lifts the lashes, doesn't smudge or flake. I can't fault it all. I won't ramble because I've raved about it loads. I actually got this tube as a magazine freebie and I have to say that I prefer the packaging of the mini to the full size bottle.

What have you been loving this month?

Ciara

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*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

I don't think a single day of this summer has gone by without me wearing nail polish. I used to absolutely hate wearing it because I felt like it drew too much attention to my hands, but I've got over that and realised how nice it is to wear. I think there is something so relaxing about doing your nails and often it can really pull a look together. This summer, the colour I've been reaching for most is *Ciaté Big Yellow Taxi. Now I know this shade won't be for everybody, but yellow is my favourite colour and *Big Yellow Taxi makes me feel so summery so I love it.

*Big Yellow Taxi is a bright, bold, cool toned yellow that definitely won't go unnoticed. It adds a lovely pop of colour that will brighten up any outfit and compliment your summer wardrobe. It's a crème finish so dries really smoothly with a shine which I think looks super professional. The fact it dries with a shine also means it's perfect if you're lazy (like me) or in a hurry because you don't need a top coat. It's a fun colour that makes a statement.

As I have found with all Ciaté nail polishes, *Big Yellow Taxi is really easy to apply. The brush is the perfect shape and size to sweep the colour all over your nails and not the rest of your finger tips, so you don't need to tidy anything up. *Big Yellow Taxi was opaque in two thick coats which for a yellow polish is amazing, as often they tend to be a bit streaky. However, if you really want the colour to be bold then go for three coats. The wear time isn't the best, but is better than some Ciaté polishes that I've tried, chipping on the third day without a top coat.

I got *Ciaté Big Yellow Taxi as part of the *Ciaté Mini Mani Manor which I got for Christmas but you can buy a full bottle for £9.

What do you think of yellow nail polish?

Ciara x

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*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

What songs are on your soundtrack to summer?

Ciara x

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When I started year 7 I had no idea how school was going to go. It felt like my GCSE's were decades away and I had loads of time. But as the years went on, they got closer and closer and crept up on me. Suddenly my whole year group was plunged into mock exams, revision sessions and mountains of things to do. I was so nervous about all of my exams. I was stressed and short tempered and it must have been a nightmare for my family to live with me. I dreaded going into the exams and after coming out of the exam hall and hearing everybody talk about their answers, I was convinced I hadn't done too well on any subject.

Yesterday was GCSE results day and I opened my results and saw 6 A*'s and 5 A's. This, I wasn't expecting at all. I'm not just 'playing it down' or anything like that. I honestly had no idea that those were the grades I earned. I exceeded my expectations in every way. I'm still in shock really that I am capable of producing those results and I know the year 7 me wouldn't have even dreamed of opening such a great results paper. The whole way through my school life I've told myself that I'm no good, that I cant do it and that I'll never be one of those 'high achievers' and if anything, what these exams have shown me is that actually that is all nonsense. I can do it and I did.

I wish I could go back and tell myself that all the effort I'm putting in, all the hard work, will pay off. It won't be wasted. But all that worry, all that stress and frustration, all of that is for nothing. There's no point in it at all, but it does show that you're bothered. If you weren't worried at all, then it obviously doesn't mean much to you.

But whatever grades you receive do not define you. They are important in that moment because you've worked for them and you don't want to be disappointed. But they don't define who you are and that's not the end of your future. You have so many paths to choose from and you can do whatever you want to do. You just have to stick to it and give it your all and I promise you, however things go, you will be just fine.

Ciara x

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You know how it is. You have mountains of products and you wonder how you will ever get through all of them and then suddenly they all seem to run out at the same time. Well that's what's been happening to me this summer with my perfume. Next on my perfume wish list was, what I think is the most perfect summer fragrance ever - *Ghost Eclpise (£34). But lucky for me, my cousin is a journalist and managed to get his hands on a bottle to send to me. This was the best surprise when it dropped through the post because I had no idea he was sending me it. Finally I've got my hands on a full size bottle and I don't have to use my little sample so sparingly anymore!

First off let's talk about that bottle because it is seriously Instagram worthy. I love the design, it's unlike any other bottle of perfume I've ever had, the colours are beautiful and remind me of a sunset. Call me shallow, but I always think a perfume smells so much nicer when it's in a beautiful bottle (can't be just me?). This bottle will perk up anybody's dressing table and it reminds me of summer which is a bonus.

I'm rubbish at describing smells but I'll give it a go. *Ghost Eclipse is a fruity but floral fragrance and contains bergamot, lemon, mandarin, apple, peach, rose, lotus flower, freesia, amber and musk. The citrus notes come across quite strongly but there is definitely something deeper there which must be the musk and rose. I usually don't like rose scented things, but the balance of this is lovely. Of course perfume smells differently on everybody, but on me this smells really fruity with hints of floral. The floral scents definitely last on your skin a lot longer than the citrus notes so if you prefer floral scents don't worry. I hope that's given you a bit of an idea. I suggest checking it out for yourself when you get a chance!

I love wearing this perfume. It makes me feel so good and summery and almost radiant! I have a feeling this will become a signature scent of mine! The perfume also came with a scented body shimmer which is gorgeous! It doesn't smell as strong as the perfume, but it will make the scent linger on your skin and the subtle gorgeous shimmer is great for a night out! I can't wait to wear this out!

What's your signature scent?

Ciara x

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* This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

So far this month I've been wearing fairly minimal makeup. Not minimal in the number of products that I'm slapping on but minimal in the sense that I don't want to look too different to how I naturally do. Normally during the summer, and when the sun is shinning, I go for bright makeup - coral blushers and bold lips but as I live in England, summer seems to have been and gone already and August has been a rather cloudy affair. This means I've been favouring more neutral blushers and "my lips but better" lippies.

I've fallen back in love with the *Benefit The Porefessional (£24.50) and I need to get myself a full size tube. This is just the sample size from a set I got for Christmas. *The Porefessional just seems to be able to solve all of my problems. It minimizes the appearance of pores and smooths out my skin, leaving me with the perfect base to apply the rest of my makeup. I also notice that my makeup lasts a lot longer when I start off by using *The Porefessional.

My base of choice this month has been the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in 31 Ivory (£9.99). When I first bought this I hated it. I just couldn't seem to make it work for me. The colour was fine, but it just seemed to make my skin look dry (although it claims to be hydrating) and chalky. However, pairing it with the Benefit The Porefessional is a whole different story. The CC Cream glides onto my skin, giving me a little bit of coverage. I don't think the 123 Perfect CC Cream does everything it claims to, but it's really nice for in the heat when you want to wear something light. I then conceal everything else that I want covering using the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 01 fair (£4.19) which is amazing at covering blemishes and redness and all sorts (I've spoken about this beauty loads so I wont go into too much detail). Another product that I've rediscovered this month is the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer in Fair (£5.49). This is such a good concealer, I think it's even a possible dupe for the Benefit Boi-ing Concealer?? This month I've loved using this under my eyes to tone down my bluey bits. I find that it's a bit heavy when I use my finger but it works really nicely with the Zoeva 142 Concealer Buffer Brush. (I did a full review of Seventeen Phwoarr Paint ages ago which you can read here).

Then before I powder my face I use the last of my cream products - *Benefit High Beam (£19.50). This is the most gorgeous highlighter ever. It's a beautiful pearly pink which looks gorgeous blended along the cheek and brow bones. I'm not keen on contour but I love a good highlight and *High Beam makes it so easy to achieve that radiant glow and looks incredibly natural. I then set my makeup using the Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot Translucent Mattifying Powder (£12). I just dust this all over my face (apart from where I've applied High Beam) using my Ecotools Mattifying Finish Brush. This is a really good powder if you like a matte base and the compact has a huge mirror so it's great for on the go. Then to add some warmth back into my face I use the Tarte Tartlette Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Celebrated (£18.99). This is GORGEOUS. I cannot get over how gorgeous this blush is. Everything about Celebrated is perfect, from the packaging, to the colour, to the formula. This is my first Tarte product and I got my boyfriend to pick it up for me when he went to Florida (huge thank you to him!) but it means that I've caught the Tarte bug and now want to try out everything that they have ever made. Celebrated creates a really pretty natural peachy pink flush that lasts all day. I think this is one for the fairer girls out there like myself. If you can get your hands on it then do because I think it's a limited edition.

Now on to eyes. I haven't really had a set look for my eyes recently. I tend to go with the weather. If it's very sunny then I like golds and coppers but if it's a bit duller I like using matte shades and more neutral browny grey colours. I don't know if that's weird or if I'm the only one that does this so please let me know in the comments! But I have been reaching for my Maybelline The Nudes Palette (£9.99) a hell of a lot. There's a really lovely range of colours to suit whatever kind of look you're going for. There's also a nice range of finishes from matte, to satin, to shimmer. For a high-street palette the quality and colours are fab.

As always my weapons of choice for mascara have been Benefit's Roller Lash (£19.50) for my top lashes and The Natural Collection Water Guard Mascara in brown/black (£1.99) for my bottom lashes. You can read why here.

It's been hard to say what my go to lip product has been for this month because there have been sunny days when I've worn a bright lip (such as Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Mischievous) but I think on a day to day basis I've favoured the Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipstick in Beehive (£4.79). I picked this up after seeing one of my favourite internet people - Lily Melrose - rave about it and I'm really glad I did. This is the perfect "my lips but better" shade for me. It's a nice peachy pink that looks really natural. Because it's a 'mirror shine' lipstick it's moisturising and super comfortable to wear.

Whoop we're done! That felt like such a long post to write. Who new a natural makeup look required so many products. If you've made it to the end of this post let me know in the comments along with what your holy grail makeup item is!

Ciara x

* This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

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Tumblr is my inspiration station, I'm always looking for new blogs to follow so if you have Tumblr then leave your link in the comments.

Ciara x

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Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while may have noticed that there have been a couple of changes going on. A major one being the name of my blog. I changed my blog name from Space Dreams and Marshmallows to An English Rose because I felt like I had out grown my old name and while it was a name that was connected to me it didn't really have anything to do with what I was blogging about. I wanted a name that was more appropriate for a beauty blog yet was still connected to me in some way so I chose An English Rose.

My grannie on my mum's side is called Mary Rose and I was named after her with my name being Ciara Rose. I love my name for this reason because I feel connected to her so I thought it was really nice to have 'Rose' somewhere in my blog name. Now I not only have a name that is connected to beauty but a name that I really like because it means something personal to me.

With a name change also comes natural changes such as a new header and design. I am trying to tweak my design as I go along and will hopefully end up with a design I am completely happy with but at the moment I think I am getting there. I think my header image suits the new name and the colours all tie in nicely together. There is still so much more I want to do but that will take time and some coding so after many YouTube tutorials I'm sure I will get there in the end.

This month I am also taking part in the Bloglovin' follower challenge! This is where Bloglovin' are encouraging blogs with under 10,000 followers to try and gain as many followers as they can in the month of August. At the end of August, the top 3 blogs which have gained the most followers will be featured on Bloglovin's own blog and website! I think this is a really good thing for Bloglovin' to do and it enables bloggers to connect and engage with other readers and bloggers!

So follow me on Bloglovin' and stick around to see where An English Rose is headed next!

Ciara x

Ps. If you follow me on Bloglovin' and have your own blog then leave your link below and I'll follow you back!

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It's no secret that I love the L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation (£7.99) with a passion. I've spoken about it loads of times, it was the only base I wore on holiday and it's definitely a firm (July) favourite of mine. It's just the best foundation I've ever tried and I don't understand why all high-street foundations can't be like it.

There are two foundations in the L'Oreal Infallible range but seeing as my skin is on the oilier side I picked up the L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation and honestly if you like a fairly matte base then you need to do so too. L'Oreal Infallible Matte controls shine to give you a smooth matte finish while still being lightweight and not cakey in the slightest. I think this foundation looks really natural and it feels nice to wear. It doesn't leave you counting down the hours to when you can remove your makeup and let your skin breathe. The lasting power is really good, it doesn't fade or need touch ups. I cant vouch for it lasting 24 hours because I'm yet to go anywhere where my makeup will be on for that long but yeah, it's pretty good.

L'Oreal peg this as a high coverage foundation and although the coverage is good I would say it's more medium. It's definitely buildable but I suggest putting a layer on and then touching up anything uncovered with concealer rather than piling another layer of foundation onto your face because then it doesn't look as natural. But that's just how I like to do things, you do what you wanna do. I love to apply this with my Ecotools Stippling Brush, I think it creates a really flawless base.

The shade range is decent for a high-street brand with L'Oreal offering 6 shades. I have 11 Vanilla which is the second lightest and that is perfect for me at the minute. Though if I'm honest, when I was testing out the shades in the shop there wasn't much difference between the lightest shade and the one that I have so you'll just have to try your luck.

This is definitely a foundation that is worth trying. It's affordable and really high quality. I even like the packaging and the fact that it's a little squeezy bottle means you can put as little or as much onto the back of your hand to use as you like. Think I'll be repurchasing this one soon.

What's your favourite high-street foundation?

Ciara x

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The lovely Lauren from Cupcakes and Candyfloss and I have got together to create a new tag that we thought would be fun to post about and get other bloggers involved in. I'm sure there are tags already out there that are similar to this but, we have come up with the lipstick or lip gloss tag! I am a lip product fanatic. They are definitely the one product which I couldn't live without. I also think they are just so fun to buy! There are so many variations out there that mean you can create any look you want and change up your everyday routine just by wearing a different colour or formula. You also don't have to be a pro to apply them nicely which helps massively. Lipsticks and glosses are usually the first pieces of makeup that a little girl is introduced to, so that's probably were my love of lip products stems from. Anyway, in this tag I will be talking a little bit about my favourite lip products and whether I'm a lipstick or lip gloss kinda gal myself.

Lipstick or Lip Gloss?

These days I definitely prefer wearing lipstick to lip gloss purely because I like bright colours and I am yet to find a really pigmented lip gloss that doesn't wear off in 45 seconds. I also hate my hair getting stuck to my lips every time the wind blows or I turn my head a little bit too quickly. But lip glosses definitely have their place. When I was at school I tended to wear lip glosses because they fade naturally so you don't have to keep reapplying them and you don't have to worry about that dreaded line left around the outside of your lips. At my school we were also not allowed to wear loads of makeup so a find lip glosses much more subtle.

My Top Picks:

I've built up quite a big lip product collection and I love looking through it to pick out my lip of the day but of course, I have my favourites and most worn lippies:

I really love the bright orange colour of my Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 235 Mischievous (£7.99) but it can be a bit challenging to work with. Because this is a matte crayon it can sometimes cling to dry patches on my lips so I need to plan ahead if I want to wear this and make sure my lips are lovely and smooth. On a more positive note, when I do have Mischievous on I don't have to worry about it fading horribly or disappearing quickly and I feel really nice wearing it. Oh and it's minty which I really like.

When nothing else seems to be working out my go to lipstick is definitely the L'Oreal Color Riche in Eva's Nude (£6.99). If I could only wear one lip product ever for the rest of my life then I think it would be this. Don't get me wrong, I love a bright lip but there is something so natural and pretty about this colour that you could wear it forever and never get bored. It's a really lovely pinky peach with slightly golden undertones. It's so easy to apply, fades evenly and feels really comfortable on.

Probably my favourite lipstick to wear in the summer is the Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti (£7.99). This is such an easy lipstick to wear. It's a true orange which I love, but it's sheer enough that it isn't scary at all and actually looks really relaxed and fresh worn during the day. I love Tutti Frutti, it's flattering and goes with just about any makeup look that I tend to wear. I just put on one coat and I'm good to go. If you want to try orange lips but you're a little bit shy of them then this is a brilliant starting point.

Are Kylie Jenner lips still a thing? I was never obsessed with finding that perfect Kylie Jenner lipstick but I was desperate to find myself the perfect nude. The kind of lipstick that looks effortless and cool and like you've not even tried. For me, this is the Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 03 (£5.49). It's a nice pinky brown nude that looks like a cross between a my lips but better and a 90's inspired Kylie Jenner shade. I think it's a shame that this line of lipsticks don't have their own shade names because they are really great products and the quality is exceptional for a high-street brand. The wear time is good, they fade naturally and they're not drying at all.

I thought I couldn't leave lip glosses out completely so my favourite lip gloss is a Seventeen Lip Lustre (£3.99) from the *Mini Lipgloss Library that I got for Christmas. Now this is really annoying because none of the lip glosses in that set have shade names or numbers so I have no idea what shade this actually is and whether it can be bought on its own but, I have a muted pink shade that contains no glitter and is opaque in one swipe of its doe foot applicator. These Seventeen Lip Lustres are really good. I'll be honest, I don't tend to give the Seventeen makeup counter a look when I go to buy makeup and I only got the *Mini Lip Gloss Library set as a stocking filler from my mum but the quality of these glosses is amazing. They aren't sticky, perfumed or flavoured, they're moisturising and easy to apply. I think the formula is great and you should check them out if you're a lip gloss lover.


From left to right: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Mischievious, Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 03, Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti, L'Oreal Color Riche in Eva's Nude, *Seventeen Lip Lustre

I really enjoyed doing this post because it meant that I got to rummage through my lip product collection. I tag Maria from in1997, Andie from Andieology and Lucy from Ooh La Luce - but I encourage everybody to take part and leave me a link below to your post if you do because I want to read them all and hopefully I'll find out about new products that I need to have from you guys.

Don't forget to read Lauren's post!

Ciara x

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*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

It's been a long time since I've entered the heaven that is a Lush shop but, on a recent trip to Oxford Street I went into their new flagship store and I was very disciplined and only left with two items instead of one of everything that they sell (which is what I really wanted). I picked myself up two Oxford Street Exclusives - Refresher Shower Jelly (£3.50) and Intergalactic Bath Bomb (£3.50).

Refresher Shower Jelly is my new favourite thing ever. I could sit there smelling this stuff all day. It's lemony and sweet and smells exactly like Refresher sweets which I love. I do like Lush's complex multi layered scents but often I much prefer their simpler products and Refresher is a prime example of this. There's nothing hidden about it. It's bright yellow and smells like lemons. You're either going to love it or not be that bothered. Everyone in my household seems to love the smell and I wish I could go round smelling like this all the time. I love the Lush shower jelly's and before my favourite smell was Lush's Whoosh (£3.50) but now I think it's definitely Refresher.

I think the shower jelly's are so fun and creative and there is nothing else out there like them. You can use them in any way that you want, as either shower gel or shampoo. You can even stick them in the fridge or freezer for a cold rush in the shower (although why you would want that I don't know so I tend to keep my shower jelly at room temp)! The shower jelly can take a little while to get used to because it is quite slippy but mine has lasted me ages and it hasn't broken up or crumbled without me wanting it to, which is great because I don't want to waste a single ounce of this stuff. The Shower jelly's lather up really well, the scent is strong and you can still smell it on you even a couple of hours after your shower. They're just as good as any shower and much more fun to use.

I haven't had a chance to use Intergalactic yet but trust me it's a beauty. I saw one of the Lush staff demonstrating this in the sinks in the store and it was so pretty that I just had to have it. Intergalactic creates a whole galaxy in your bath. It turns the water a deep blue with streaks of bright yellow and pink and gold for some added sparkle. I love stargazing and I find space really interesting so of course this bath bomb attracted me greatly but, it really does leave your bath looking like a beautiful night sky and I can imagine it being so relaxing.

Intergalactic also contains popping candy which is one of my favourite things ever so I cant wait to stick this in my bath and watch it fizzle away. I think putting popping candy in is such a fun touch and makes Lush's products that little bit more special and different to everybody else's. The smell of this bath bomb isn't something I would usually go for as I tend to favour citrus scents like Refresher but it's absolutely lovely. It's very pepperminty but contains cederwood to give it a much deeper smell and I think there's even grapefruit oil in there so it has a really slight citrus hint. I haven't explained that well at all, but if you get a chance to go into the Oxford Street store then definitely give this a sniff. I think Intergalactic would be perfect for a relaxing bath before bed.

I wish these products were available in every Lush store and I hope that they will be one day. Lush has got some great exclusive products that I would love to get my hands on. I think I will be making another trip very shortly.

What's your favourite Lush product?

Ciara x

Last month, my boyfriend and I took a trip to Ireland to visit my family and we ended up staying with my Uncle and Auntie in Murrisk for most of the trip. Murrisk is an absolutely beautiful village in County Mayo which is on the West coast of Ireland and is home to Ireland's Holy mountain - Croagh Patrick. Now I've seen Croagh Patrick many times and I have family members who have climbed the mountain but I've never been all the way to the top myself. I thought that while we were staying there it was an opportunity not to be missed.

Climbing Croagh Patrick was easily one of the hardest things I've ever done and it took us a good few hours to climb all the 762m above sea level to the top and back down again. It was challenging, many breaks were taken and I'm in no rush to go and do it again but I am so happy that I can say I have climbed it. I don't really know what I expected. I expected it to be tough, it's a mountain. But I wasn't prepared for how steep it was at all. Or for the fact that if you went very wrong, it could possibly end quite badly. There wasn't a path or anything, like people think there will be. It's just rocks. But we were fine and we met loads of people coming up and down who were so lovely and offered encouragement. The views when we got to the top were amazing, you could see for miles and if the weather had been a little bit nicer then I could have stayed up there for hours. Even if you don't make it to the top, the views from the half way point are stunning so it's worth it if you try and make it to there.

The whole reason why Croagh Patrick is such a big deal is because Saint Patrick is supposed to have completed a 40 day fast there and legend also has it that the mountain is where Saint Patrick banished snakes from Ireland forever! Each year, on the last Sunday of July, thousands of people from around the world visit the mountain for a day of worship in honour of Saint Patrick. Some of these people even climb the mountain barefoot as an act of penance (you'd never catch me climbing that thing barefoot but each to their own).

I seriously admire anybody who makes it to the top and my auntie even did this thing for charity one year when she climbed Croagh Patrick every day for a week. Which I think is so impressive because I was really tired the next day and couldn't even think about going up again. Plus there was a man who climbed the mountain every day for a year. A WHOLE YEAR. If that's not impressive then I don't know what is. I think it's something that should definitely be done once in your lifetime and if you ever get the chance to go and see it then you definitely should. Murrisk is beautiful and the mountain makes for some breath-taking pictures. When we stayed at their house I could see the mountain from the bedroom window and that was a view that I definitely think I could never get used to.

Climbing Croagh Patrick is an experience that I will never forget and I'm so happy that I managed to do it.

Ciara x

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1. Are you a lipstick or lip gloss kind of girl?

Definitely a lipstick kind of person, I think I only own like two lip glosses, my hair just always gets stuck to my lips when I wear it, it's not for me!

2. You're somehow stranded on a desert island and only have 5 beauty products including skincare in your bag. What are they?

This is such a hard question. I'd probably go with Ultrabland cleanser from Lush because they recommend that you replace your entire skincare regime with just that one product anyway! Then probably NARS Tinted Moisturiser, an eyebrow pencil and some tweezers (my eyebrows need doing no matter where I am, I can't cope if they're gross) and finally probably just some deodorant!

3. Run me through your skincare routine?

Well currently I am doing the Ultrabland challenge which, as I mentioned above, is super strange because Lush recommended literally replacing absolutely everything you usually use with just this one cleanser in order to rebalance your skin's natural oils and things. I'm on day 6 so far and I'm supposed to do it for a month, it feels really strange but it seems to be working so far!

4. Do you have a go to makeup brand?

My go-to makeup brand is probably NARS. Whenever I do any blog posts which involve a makeup look, 99% of the things tend to be from there, I'm definitely a NARScissit.

5. For you, is there one product that is definitely worth the hype?

For a product worth the hype I'd probably say Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. It's so over-hyped and I didn't expect to like it too much but it's become such a staple for me, I absolutely love it.

6. High-end or high-street?

I know that this is never the answer that people want to this question but I'm totally more of a high-end person. I'd rather save up a bit of money to buy something of really good quality!

7. What's your favourite book?

I usually say The Great Gatsby but I am about to start reading The Bell Jar and I can just feel that it's going to be a favourite!

8. Do you have a favourite band or song?

I just don't have a favourite band or song this is too hard! Right now I've been listening to a whole lot of Catfish and the Bottlemen and Little Comets are also probably a favourite right now! In the long-run I'd probably say that R.E.M. always have a special place in my heart though!

9. If you could have dinner with anybody alive or dead, who would it be and why?

If I could have dinner with anybody I'd want it to be Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie together, their friendship is freakin adorable and I've always had a bit of a thing for Jeeves and Wooster so I'd totally wanna see that re-created, is that really sad? haha!

10. Finally, any favourite bloggers?

My favourite bloggers are probably Kate at Gh0stparties, Suzie at HelloOctober, Victoria at InTheFrow, Lily at LLYMLRS and Charlotte at TheTeaDrinkingEnglishRose - they're probably quite predictable.

I enjoyed doing this post so much, it's always nice to get to know somebody a little bit more and Andie is just so lovely! I wish her all the best with her Ultrabland challenge and I would love to see how her dinner with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie turned out!

Who would be at your dream dinner party?

Ciara x

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